Western art and collectibles, Native American art and artifacts, Hispanic traditional and religious art displayed in an authentic turn-of-the-century building

The A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art opened in Trinidad in 1981 and in 1989 the museum purchased the historic Jamieson Dry Goods Store, a 1906 Western-style structure with original pressed-tin ceilings, wood floors and a horseshoe-shaped mezzanine, which became the permanent home of the museum. The “Mitch” has become an important venue for art, culture, history and tourism in southeastern Colorado. As a “native son,” Mitchell, and the museum named after him, are fiercely protected and honored by the community.

The primary work displayed is by Arthur Roy Mitchell, illustrator and artist, who created over 160 Western pulp magazine covers during the 1920s through 1940s. More than 350 paintings and illustrations by Mitchell and his contemporaries comprise the museum's main collection. The museum is also home to a collection of early Hispanic traditional and religious art, including bultos, retablos, tinwork, and Penitente artifacts. Native American pottery, blankets, rugs, clothing and artifacts collected by Mitchell are also on display. Historic photographs taken by Oliver E. Aultman, Benjamin Wittick, and Almerod Newman from the late 1800s through much of the 20th century are also on display when space allows.

Arthur Roy Mitchell painted iconic western scenes featuring cowboys, horses, cattle and vast beautiful landscapes that captured the hearts and minds of pulp western readers from the 1920s to today. The largest collection of his work is proudly displayed at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, in downtown Trinidad, Colorado in his honor.

Arthur Roy Mitchell and Trinidad

During the 1870s and 1880s Trinidad was the headquarters of the largest cattle and sheep operation in the state of Colorado. A booming cow town filled with cowboys, cowhands and ranchers, Trinidad's streets and neighboring towns were home to the horses, cattle and beloved cowboys and cowgirls that A.R. Mitchell would paint and immortalize throughout his career. Mitchell was not just an artist who painted the cowboy as a hero, he actually was a cowboy spending time as a ranch hand in his youth and riding horses throughout his life. He often traveled to nearby Santa Fe, New Mexico to visit Native American pueblos including Tesuque, Santa Clara, San Idelfonso, San Juan and Taos. Mitchell's life growing up immersed in the last golden days of the old West set the stage for his love of all things Western, and his artistic talent and training allowed him to become one of the most influential cowboy illustrators of his time in the great tradition of Frederick Remington and Charles M. Russell.

King of the Western Pulp Cover Illustrators

From the 1920s through the 1940s, A.R. Mitchell painted over 160 images for western books and magazines. Many of the original paintings can be seen in our museum. Mitchell painted the cowboy in action with pistol drawn, riding a bucking bronco, wrestling a steer and roping cattle. His covers for publications such as True West, Western Story, Ace-High, Cowboy Stories and many more pulp magazines were in his words "Paintings of the real cowboy, not the movie variety". Many famous writers of the day including Zane Grey, Max Brand and Jack London wrote stories for the pulp magazines and Mitchell was a very successful cover artist for almost all of these popular publications.

The A.R. Mitchell Museum is a non-profit entity that solely exists to display our incredible collection of western art to the public. We are funded through the generosity of individuals who believe, like we do, that this unique collection must remain in view for years to come. Any donation you make no matter the size will be used to further our mission.

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Browse and purchase vintage cowboy, cowgirl, Native American Indian and western landscape canvas prints in our online store. Over 30 to choose from. Your purchase helps support the museum and you receive some incredible art to hang in your home. Thanks for shopping with us!